The First Bad News is the 7th chapter of Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway. This cutscene chapter have two feature cutscene, Kevin and The First Bad News.
Summary[]
Bad news travels one soldier at a time.
Plot[]
Kevin[]
It starts with Leggett lying down against a wall before Dawson talks to Leggett. Dawson initiate a small talk and talks about destiny. This cause Leggett to think back which Baker gave Leggett a warning not to tell the secret which will cause the latter death. Leggett soon told Dawson about the secret he's been keeping.
The First Bad News[]
The platoon rests up with the 502nd in Best. Baker is called to meet up with Mac, on the way, he overheard Dawson talks to the squad about fate which annoys McCreary and Jasper and Roselli who carries the heaviest.
Baker saw Giedon saddened over the corpse which Baker ask Mac about. It is revealed that the corpse is Cole and he was killed by a sniper during the battle in Best. Mac and his team couldn't find the sniper. Baker approach to Red to tell about Cole's demise.
Sink talks to Mac about Cole's death and ask to deliver a message to Baker and the platoon. Meanwhile, Red is disgusted on Cole's recklessness that cause long term damage to his unit. Mac interrupts a heated argument and deliver the order to follow Sink and the 506th to Eindhoven. He gives them an advice on not fighting each other.
Transcript[]
Kevin[]
Leggett was sitting by a fence somewhere in Carentan. It was in the evening where the fighting was over back at noon. Baker squad have been reduced to half dozen after Obi's death back in the battle. He have been troubled in his mind and took no attention to the other soldiers.
Soldier: Over here!
The soldiers walks by Leggett, ignoring him. This is fine to Leggett as he just want peace to think to himself, until one soldier arrived.
Dawson: Are you okay?
A soldier with a British accent talks to Leggett but Leggett didn't care. However, the soldier continue his conversation
Dawson: Mate! You okay? Do you need a doctor?
Leggett: No. I'm not shot or anything...
Leggett replied to the soldier question, he thought he would go away after this but the soldier soon sits down with Leggett to talk more. Leggett felt reluctant to continue the conversation that the soldier started.
Dawson: Well,What's your story then?
Leggett: Who are you?
Dawson: Pathfinder with the 502. English bastard of a Rich Father & a Poor Mother. --Ha. Take your pick Really. What's your name?
Leggett: Kevin.
Dawson: Tell me,Kevin. Do you believe in fate—That there's something we're all supposed to do in this life before we die?
After the question asked by the soldier named Dawson, Leggett thinks back to the secret. The secret that broke Leggett since especially after Allen and Garnett's death where everyone except Mac, Baker and Corrion in the squad hated him for their death by hiding cowardly. He think back to the moment where Baker told him to keep the incident a secret to prevent Leggett killed.
Baker: Leggett,don't ever tell anyone,what you just told me.
Leggett: Why?
Baker: Because They'll kill you!
Leggett came back to the real world and thinks about the secret he is holding. He could not hold it forever and wants tell someone that isn't in his squad. Since Dawson have been friendly and a different squad, he would tell Dawson the secret and will not get to his squad since he is a different unit.
Leggett: Can I... tell you a secret?
As Leggett told Dawson the secret that he is unwillingly holding, little did he know that himself will be killed by the pressure of the battle and the secret he is holding. Not only that, the soldier he told the secret have transferred to Baker's squad. Only time will tell if the secret will be revealed.
Cutscene Ends
The First Bad News[]
It is the next day of the Operation, Baker's platoon is resting up at the 502nd PIR camp where they besieging Best for another route. Baker is resting against the wall with Corrion and Zanovich joining Baker.
Zanovich: Eah. You want some coffee,Baker?
Corrion: Hey, Mac needs to talk to you.
Baker gets up and headed to Mac's tent. On his way, he overheard Dawson talking to McCreary and Franky about superstition.
Dawson: What about you, Franky? Do you believe in fate?
McCreary: Yuh, Not this shit again! I'm getting some of that coffee.
McCreary walks off from the conversation and while Baker is walking, he glare at Dawson for causing a fuss in the squad with superstition and legends.
Dawson: I'm Serious.
Franky: Damn, I don't know, Daws; Some people get shot: Some people don't-- Don't seem to make shit for sence.
On his way, he also overheard Roselli and Jasper's conversation about carrying the heaviest gun.
Roselli: Just ask Yourself honestly,could I lug around & fire a twenty-pound gun all day?
Jasper: Do You live in a Fantasy world? Is it nice there? I'm carrying a Goddamn Bazooka!
Baker reach outside of Mac's tent and saw Gideon saddened over the dead body on the jeep. Possibly the feeling that he couldn't save the soldier. Baker enter the tent and ask about the corpse.
Baker: Everything okay? Who's that?
Mac: It's Lieutenant Colonel Cole, Matt.
Baker: What? How? What?!
Mac raises his head and explain about his unit in Best and Cole's death during the battle.
Doran: There's krauts everywhere. White One! We need support now, Goddamn it!
Radio: Say again! Over!
Doran: This is Kickoff Blue! There's jerry all over! We need support now! We got MG, Mortars, Arty, Every goddamn thing firing as us!
Cole: Doran! I don't give a shit what bullshit they're giving you! Whatever breath you got left,you use it to scream into that goddamn radio! & keep your head down!
Doran: This is Kickoff Blue! Can anyone hear me?
Cole: Doran,keep your goddamn head down!
An explosion happened & Doran was killed.
Cole:Bob. Bob!
As Mac tells Baker what happened, planes flew by, Cole order his men,1 Kingsley was shot,laying there,while another,Walton,also injured cuffs up blood.
Mac: When our planes started strafing,as he ran a few of our men into the field to lay panels. He was behind the other men & just... Well,he was... Straightening the panels.
Baker: Why would he...?
Mac: Matt,I have no idea! He did that a couple of times & then... Then there was a crack...
Cole was shot in the head in the middle of the battlefield, he suddenly fall down like he immediately went to sleep. It cuts to Mac kick the door down where the sniper who kill Cole supposedly originated from.
Mac: We never found the sniper—Just the tally he left behind on the windowsill.
Mac only saw a tally on the window which shows that he killed 8 men in Best, including Cole.
Mac: I mean he was there, & then he wasn't. It just doesn't make any goddamn sense.
Baker: It never does.
Meanwhile, Red and Paddock are having a conversation.
Paddock: Oh, Should I go get a ruler? My moneys on Roselli.
Red laugh at paddock comment but Baker interrupt him to tell a bad news about Cole's death.
Baker: Red,I need to talk to you for a second.
Mac talks with Col.Sink about what happened to Cole.
Sink: This is a terrible loss,Sergeant. did you get the bastard?
Mac stays quiet,simply shook his head,then...
Mac: Sir?
Sink: Yes,Sergeant.
Mac: Did you get word from Division yet about where Recon is going?
Sink: Well,my guess is you'll want to tell them yourself,Sergeant.
Mac: Yes,Sir! I'd like that very much,Sir.
In the tent,Baker got through telling Red about what happened to Cole.
Hartsock: Why would he do that?! Why would he do something so goddamn reckless?!
Baker: He saved a lot of lives,Red.
Hartsock:& now how many will die,because he isn't around to lead them? It's not about one battle,Matt.
Baker: Would You prefer he was still around with nothing to lead instead? What's the life of one officer worth to you? Twenty Men? Forty?
Hartsock: You know damn well,I value...
Mac came in.
Mac:Everything alright here?
Hartsock: Just talking! What do you need?
Mac: Division has ordered your men to Eindhoven to rendezvous with Sink & the 506. You'll be linking up with thirty corps. Good luck.
Hartsock: That it?
Mac: If you want my advice-- & that's rhetorical—Keep the war out there.
Mac walks off,as Baker & Red ready their mission.
Cutscene Ends.
Characters[]
- Colonel Robert Sink
- Lieutenant Colonel Robert Cole (Flashback; KIA)
- First Sergeant Gregory Hassay
- Staff Sergeant Matthew Baker
- Staff Sergeant Joseph Hartsock
- Corporal Samuel Corrion
- Corporal Patrick "Paddy K" Kingsley (not named; Flashback; does not speak; KIA)
- Corporal Franklin Paddock
- Corporal Thomas Zanovich
- Technician 5th Grade Bob Doran (Flashback; KIA)
- Private First Class Mike Dawson
- Private First Class Gary Jasper
- Private First Class Kevin Leggett (Flashback)
- Private First Class Dale McCreary
- Private First Class James Roselli
- Private First Class Simon Walton (not named; Flashback; does not speak; KIA)
- Private Franky LaRoche
- Gideon
- German Sniper (Mentioned)
Trivia[]
- This is one of two chapters that have two cutscenes in the same chapter with the other one is Reunions.